The Last Dream
by PrayForFeeling
Summary: Suzaku's beloved Princess Euphemia has just died and upon learning of the truth of the geass from V.V., he collapses and has a strange dream...


Whenever Euphemia wasn't around, Suzaku's world seemed....dismal at best. The world was cold, unforgiving, and greedy. Everything was only a reminder of the things that pained him, of all the things he'd done wrong.

But whenever she was around, suddenly there was hope. It was hard to fathom how anyone in this world could see through him the way she seemed to. He felt so transparent around her, but with her that was okay. There was something about her he'd never seen or encountered before, something so beautiful. Whatever it was, it sure made his heart skip a beat.

In a perfect world, when two people fall in love, not even death would be able to keep them apart.

So what was he to do when that hope, that beauty, was suddenly shattered right before his eyes? Even in everything he'd been through, nothing had ripped into him so deeply. It was like feeling pain for the first time. Nothing ever hurt this much. He'd never thought that anything could. And yet, it did, and everything as he had come to know it was spiraling out of control.

And Lelouch...Oh, Lelouch. He would make him pay for what he'd done if it was the last thing he would ever do.

He had just learned it all. About the geass, the truth of how she was killed and why she had given an order so against her own nature. He had one goal in mind now, only one thing. He didn't care about anything else. All he wanted was to get to Lelouch and...and to kill him for what he'd done. V.V. was gone and he was about to call Lelouch when he suddenly felt very lightheaded. He cursed himself as he struggled into his flight suit, despite the fact that he was weakening for some reason, but before he even knew it, he collapsed on the floor, unconscious....Euphemia's lifeless body just feet away from him.

A strange sensation overcame him and he woke up in the middle of town, near the school...where he had first met Euphemia. Where they had first walked together, laughed together. He wasn't in his flight suit anymore, he was wearing the casual clothing he'd worn that same day he'd met her.

Unlike the day he'd met her, it was not nice and sunny. Instead it was dusk and raining. The sun was setting and the rain poured down hard on him, he was already soaking wet. Realizing he was also suddenly wearing sunglasses with the rest of the clothes he'd come here with, he lifted them and propped them on his head, which allowed him to see better. No one seemed to be around. All was quiet, save for the hard and steady downpour of the rain. And with the setting sun, it seemed as though all of the town's shadows were cast over the boy.

"Hi, Suzaku," rang a beautiful voice from behind him. He quickly turned around. Deeper in the shadows of the surrounding buildings, and standing just out of arm's reach of him was Euphemia, smiling back at him. She was wearing that orange and green dress, the same one she was wearing when he first laid anxious, teenage boy eyes on her. Looking just as beautiful as ever, no evidence at all that something had gone so horribly wrong.

His heart must have stopped. He froze. "Eu-Euphemia..."

She smiled at him. "How are you, Suzaku?"

"Euphemia!" He cried. He couldn't help himself, he rushed forward, rushed to her in the shadows of the sunset. He threw his arms around her and held her tightly to him. This had to be a dream but, God, please don't let this be a dream. Let it continue forever, keep her in his arms forevermore... "Euphemia..."

She slowly wrapped her arms around him in return. She felt cold. Why, why was she so cold? "What's wrong, Suzaku?" She whispered into his ear.

Tears began to pour out of his eyes and onto her shoulder, partly onto her lovely pink locks. "Something terrible has happened and...and I-"

"Don't speak anymore," She said. She pulled away just enough to gaze into his eyes. He gazed back at her, becoming so lost in her stare, losing himself in her. He knew, somehow, that these moments would only be short lived but he was so desperate to make them last that he dared not blink, let alone look away from her for even an instant. She touched his cheek as he stared, tears now flowing steadily down his face. But why, why were her hands so cold?

"Euphemia, don't go!" He cried, despite her wish. He couldn't help himself though, he couldn't bare to lose her, especially not a second time. Inside he was falling apart and ripping into pieces, outside all he could do was cry and cling to her.

"I've come here," She started in a quiet voice, gazing at him still, "to give my final words to you."

"No, no! Euphie!" His knees were shaking. A cold hand gripped his heart.

"Thank you, Suzaku. Thank you for showing me that kindness exists in this world, and that not everyone is so cold."

He was almost hyperventilating now, and hearing her voice was at the same time comforting and heartbreaking. It was shocking, really, to hear those words from her because they were the same words he could have said to her.

"You helped give me hope. And you will always be my knight."

Who was she kidding? He'd done nothing but fail her as a knight. There was so, so much he regretted now and the fact that he couldn't right his wrongs made time his worst enemy. He wanted so badly to save her from Lelouch, from all the pain. But he had failed. So why was she thanking him?

"Suzaku...look at me."

Not that he had stopped looking at her. But still, she could see right through him, into places in him most people refused to see. And now, after this, will never been seen again. But, right now she was here and this was important, he had to focus on her. She was speaking to him, he had to focus, no matter how much it hurt. He owed her that much.

"I love you....Suzaku..."

Oh, his heart, his poor cold heart. How he was even still able to stand was a mystery. "I love you, Euphemia. I love you!"

Her mouth started moving again, but all that came out was silence. "Wh-what?" he cried desperately. Her mouth moved again but still, nothing. She just continued to gaze at him, her mouth continued to move but no sound was coming out. All he could hear was the downpour of the rain, which seemed to only be getting heavier and drowning her out.

But, no, don't let this stop now! He wanted so badly to continue to hear her voice and it seemed like her hands on him were only getting colder...colder... "I can't hear you. Euphie!" He cried.

Her mouth only continued to move with no sound and her face remained blank, not in anyway acknowledging his obvious distress.

Suddenly he couldn't feel her hand anymore. He gasped as he stared at the woman he loved before him become transparent. "No, no, no!" he cried over and over but it was useless, she was fading away and the rain only poured down harder. He reached out in attempt to grab her and pull her close again but he was only grasping at thin air, at a fading image. Fading slowly, slowly, until it was finally gone.

Overcome with emotion, grief, and sorrow that had weakened his body, Suzaku collapsed again, falling face first onto wet cement. Once again, he was all alone. And once again, he was unconscious.

Suzaku awoke with a jolt through his body. What had just happened? He quickly got up and rubbed his head. Did he just pass out?

Whatever. It didn't matter. Quickly, he dialed Lelouch as he finished putting on his flight suit....


End file.
